On October 6, 2007, the day we arrived in Nalerigu, we were told about an amazing surgery Dr. Faile had performed that evening. A Fulani family with no money sought treatment in Accra for a large anterior meningocele (a form of spina bifida) which extended from the midline of the child’s face. The family couldn’t […]
Logbook
While in Nalerigu, I kept a logbook of all the procedures, surgeries and patients that I saw. I will admit that I actually saw more things than I recorded. I usually just recorded the things that either I performed personally or had an active role. I really did gain a wealth of experiential knowledge while […]
BMC Website & Blog
One of the last projects I worked on during our mission trip to Ghana was revamping the hospital’s website (www.baptistmedicalcenter.org) using WordPress (the same blogging system that powers this website). The old website was very out-of-date and the amount of content was unorganized and overwhelming. I worked with the Failes, Hewitts, and Jimmy Huey to […]
RUI (Riding Under the Influence)
A few days before Christmas, I was on call. Dr. Faile and I were down in the theater preparing to do a surgery when a man was wheeled in on a gurney. A cloth was wrapped around his head – his body covered in blood. He looked like an extra in a zombie movie. His […]
HIV/AIDS in Northern Ghana
How doctors at the Baptist Medical Centre diagnose HIV/AIDS among their patients in northern Ghana.
Snake Bites in Northern Ghana
Snake bites and their treatment at the Baptist Medial Centre in northern Ghana.
Photo of the Day
This young lady was the patient in the skin graft slideshow we posted some time ago. We put a follow-up post two weeks after the procedure to show how her arm was healing. She came in again for a final checkup and I took this photo when Heidi examined her. Her arm has healed very […]
Update on (former) Bow-legged Boy
William put up a photo of a young boy after surgery for bow-leggedness back in October. I spotted him again the other day and was very impressed with the result of his surgery. Have a look for yourself! Not only is he standing straight, but he looks much happier than when he was naked and […]
Nasal Fracture (w/ slideshow)
The other night while I was on call, 3 patients were brought in from the same road traffic accident (RTA – as they say here in Ghana…as opposed to MVA or MVC used in the States to mean “motor vehicle accident or collision.”) One patient had head injuries, another had a open knee wound with […]